[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3250 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3250

    To authorize the President to present a gold medal on behalf of 
 Congress to the Sioux Indians who served as Sioux Code Talkers during 
      World War II in recognition of their service to the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2001

  Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the President to present a gold medal on behalf of 
 Congress to the Sioux Indians who served as Sioux Code Talkers during 
      World War II in recognition of their service to the Nation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sioux Code Talkers Recognition 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Sioux Indians used their native languages, Dakota, 
        Lakota, and Nakota Sioux, as code during World War II.
            (2) These people, who manned radio communications networks 
        to advise of enemy actions, became known as the Sioux Code 
        Talkers.
            (3) Under some of the heaviest combat action, the Code 
        Talkers worked around the clock to provide information which 
        saved the lives of many Americans in the Pacific and Europe, 
        such as the location of enemy troops and the number of enemy 
        guns.
            (4) The Sioux Code Talkers were so successful that military 
        commanders credit the code with saving the lives of countless 
        American soldiers and being instrumental to the success of the 
        United States in many battles during World War II.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President may present, on behalf 
of Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design, to each Sioux Code 
Talker, including the following:
            (1) Eddie Eagle Boy.
            (2) Simon Brokenleg.
            (3) Iver Crow Eagle, Sr.
            (4) Edmund St. John.
            (5) Walter C. John.
            (6) John Bear King.
            (7) Phillip ``Stoney'' LaBlanc.
            (8) Baptiste Pumpkinseed.
            (9) Guy Rondell.
            (10) Charles Whitepipe.
            (11) Clarence Wolfguts.
    (b) Medals Awarded Posthumously.--Medals authorized by this Act may 
be awarded posthumously on behalf of, and presented to a surviving 
family member of, a Sioux Code Talker.
    (c) Design and Striking.--The medals authorized by this Act are to 
express recognition by the United States and its citizens and to honor 
the Sioux Code Talkers who distinguished themselves in performing a 
unique, highly successful communications operation that greatly 
assisted in saving countless lives and in hastening the end of World 
War II in the Pacific and Europe. For the purposes of the presentation 
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to 
be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary of the Treasury may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such 
regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, and at a price sufficient 
to cover the costs thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the bronze medal.

SEC. 5. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.

    The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for 
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount 
not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the costs of the medals authorized by 
this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in the United States 
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 <all>